AUTHOR Thomas Zachek I grew up on the Tarzan movies and, to a lesser extent, the comics. But I became hooked on the real Tarzan in high school after picking up a new Ace paperback edition of Tarzan and the Lost Empire for fifty cents, the one with the Frank Frazetta cover of our hero, monkey on his back, hanging from a limb on a cliff and looking down upon the Roman city. I went on to collect the entire series of Ace and Ballantine paperback reissues of Burroughs’ tales (and still have them). I discovered that Burroughs’ stories were quite unlike the family-friendly Tarzan of the movies, with inarticulate Johnny Weismuller as the hulking hero living for some reason in the jungle with a classy, aristocratic Jane. No, Burroughs’ hero was a British lord who spoke educated English and had a fascinating backstory. I was impressed with the far superior level of development and action found in these tales. I attempted writing my first Tarzan tale in 2005 (Tarzan and the “Fountain of Youth”) as something of a lark, and then followed it, to date, with six more Tarzan tales. Friends encouraged me to try to get the stories published. I am grateful to Jim Sullos of ERB, Inc., for giving me the chance. Here are my first three. In these stories, I have tried to craft realistic, page-turning adventure tales featuring classic Tarzan elements while at the same time taking the character in directions that have never been done in Tarzan stories before. I invite you to share your thoughts and comments with me at zachekbooks@gmail.com. Thomas Zachek Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |